1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for supplying rod-like articles, such as cigars, cigarettes, filter plugs, tampons or the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a system in which the rod-like articles are maintained in substantially the same orientation during transport in a rod-like article storing box having an open upper surface, as well as after they are discharged therefrom to a supply passage, without changing their orientation.
2. Description of Background and Pertinent Information
The conventional system for supplying rod-like articles is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 60-240628. That system includes a method and apparatus for supplying rod-like articles, wherein a rod-like article supplying passage is arranged at an inlet end of a storing device. A rod-like article storing box is arranged in an inverted condition upon the supplying passage by means of a box distributing mechanism. Thereafter, the storing box is pulled upwardly by the box lifting mechanism of the box distributing mechanism. The group of rod-like articles in the storing box is intended to be supplied onto the supplying passage without changing its stacked condition and, at the same time, the rod-like articles in one box are all transported by the pusher mechanism as they are piled in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the rod-like articles, and transported into the storing device. The lifted empty storing box is discharged from the supplying passage by an empty box discharging mechanism.
3. Problems Solved by the Invention
Problems are presented, however, in the conventional type of rod-like article supplying method and apparatus. Specifically, a difference in size exists between the inner dimension of the storing box and the inner dimension of the guide for holding the box, so as to move the box up and down, when there is a handle or a projection such as reinforcing member or the like on the outer surface of the storing box, due to the fact that the storing box held in its inverted condition with the box distributing mechanism is raised by the box lifting mechanism in an attempt to remove the rod-like articles from the box without changing its piled-up condition. Further, when the storing box is lifted, the rod-like articles tend to roll out of the box, causing a disturbance in the attitude of the rod-like articles and, at the same time, the stable transportation of the articles can not be effectively performed with a pusher mechanism and, in fact, the storing box is limited to one having a thin wall thickness and having no projection on its outer surface.
Since the storing box after emptying could not be returned to the box distributing mechanism without disturbing the removed rod-like articles, in the prior apparatus it was necessary to provide an empty box discharging mechanism for discharging the empty box from the supplying passage. Consequently, the device became complicated and the entire device became large in size.